Dolph Lundgren has responded to the controversy surrounding the Rocky spinoff film about his character Ivan Drago, insisting there are “no deals in place” yet.
Last week, Sylvester Stallone went public with his anger at the news that a Drago film was in the works, claiming producer Irwin Winkler was “exploiting” the Rocky franchise. In a further social media post, he blasted Winkler and his family as “bloodsuckers.”
That led Lundgren to give his side of the story on social media earlier today. “Just to set the record straight regarding a possible Drago spinoff,” he wrote in an Instagram post, which was accompanied by a picture of the pair in suits jokingly pretending to fight.
“There’s no approved script, no deals in place, no director and I was personally under the impression that my friend Sly Stallone was involved as a producer or even as an actor.” The actor added that he was “in touch with Mr Balboa (Stallone) – just so all the fans can relax.”
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Lundgren famously starred as Drago in Rocky IV in 1985, and reprised the role in Creed II in 2018. Stallone and Lundgren have also worked together in The Expendables series.
Although Stallone hasn’t yet responded to Lundgren’s post, fans were very happy in the comments. “Total support! We know you would never want to hurt Sly!” wrote a Sly Stallone fan account. “I love you for taking the time to give your feedback and prove your loyalty,” wrote someone else.
While we all wait to find out if the Drago film will actually go ahead, there’s another far less controversial Rocky spinoff on the way. Michael B. Jordan is currently filming Creed III, the sequel to 2018’s well-received Creed II and the ninth instalment in the Rocky franchise. The film is also Jordan’s feature film directorial debut, and is expected to arrive in cinemas in November.
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Check out Rocky vs Drago in Rocky IV:
